The year 2016 was a good year for those seeking relief in a  as cases begin to go trial in Pennsylvania.

Risperdal is a drug that is use to treat certain physiological and neurological conditions. It is an antipsychotic that is often prescribed to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and the aggression and irritability that some patients with autism suffer from. Often, though, it has been prescribed for off-label uses.

However many male patients have complained about a condition known as gynecomastia that has been associated with the use of Risperdal. Many of these patients have filed lawsuits against the drug maker and have since reaped the benefits of a Risperdal gynecomastia settlement.

Gynecomastia is the abnormal formation of breast tissue in males. Some studies have suggested that Risperdal use may increase the hormone prolactin in a person. This hormone affects female breast growth and milk production in nursing and pregnant women.

When prolactin levels reach an excessive level in males, it may produce abnormal breast growth. This can affect younger males, such as adolescents, more significantly than older males.

However, it may be that even if a young man develops gynecomastia as a result of Risperdal use, the problem may follow him throughout his life.

Many gynecomastia lawsuits have been filed against Johnson & Johnson, the maker of Risperdal, stating that their drug caused gynecomastia in plaintiffs. They claim that this disorder is emotionally devastating and has adversely affected them.

Many plaintiffs seeking a Risperdal gynecomastia settlement allow their lawsuit to enter multidistrict litigations, or MDLs. An MDL is designed to make the legal process easy in products liability cases like this and streamline discovery and pretrial proceedings.

Last year, the largest verdict to date was awarded to a teen boy in a Risperdal gynecomastia settlement. Johnson & Johnson was required to pay $70 million to the young Tennessee man in response to his Risperdal lawsuit.

The plaintiff that received this Risperdal gynecomastia settlement was only 5 years old when he began taking Risperdal to treat a psychiatric disorder. He claims that no one warned his parents about the possible side effects of the drug and as a result, he has suffered devastating side effects.

Earlier, a $2.5 million Risperdal gynecomastia settlement was awarded to another male plaintiff. More settlements have been announced as some of the more than 2,000 Risperdal cases are beginning to go to trial in Pennsylvania.

If you or someone you love has been adversely affected by Risperdal use, you may be able to seek compensation through a Risperdal gynecomastia settlement.